Police chase pickup for 70km across provinces, arrest six Chinese nationals
Highway police pursued a pickup for more than 70 kilometres before arresting a Thai driver and six Chinese nationals in Sa Kaeo over an alleged smuggling operation.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), through the Highway Police Division, has arrested Sutat (surname withheld), a 36-year-old Thai national, on a charge of sheltering or otherwise assisting foreign nationals who entered the Kingdom in violation of the law in order to help them evade arrest.
Also arrested was a 38-year-old Chinese man on a charge of remaining in the Kingdom after his permission to stay had expired, along with five other Chinese nationals on a charge of entering and staying in the Kingdom without permission. The arrests were made on Highway 359, kilometre markers 7-8, Tha Kasem subdistrict, Mueang district, Sa Kaeo province.
The case followed a tip-off from an informant that foreign nationals would be smuggled from the border area in Sa Kaeo province and taken onwards to Bangkok.
The vehicle was said to be a grey private car. Later, while officers were patrolling on Highway 359 at kilometre 65 in Si Maha Phot district, Prachin Buri, they spotted a grey Toyota matching the description they had received. The car had dark window tinting and appeared to be carrying a heavier load than normal.
Officers signalled for the vehicle to stop for inspection, but it failed to do so and instead sped away towards Khao Hin Son district, Chachoengsao, before turning around and heading back towards Sa Kaeo.
Police then pursued the vehicle at close range for more than 70 kilometres.
They eventually managed to stop it. A search found Sutat at the wheel, with six Chinese nationals travelling as passengers.
A document check showed that one Chinese suspect had overstayed his permission to remain in Thailand, while the other five had no international passports.
Officers seized the relevant evidence before handing all suspects over to investigators at Mueang Sa Kaeo Police Station for legal proceedings.
In an initial statement, Sutat confessed that he had picked up the foreign nationals in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo, and was taking them to Bangkok for a fee of 5,000 baht per trip.
